Jury Selection Begins In Brent Burke's 4th Trial

The fourth trial is under way for a Fort Campbell military police officer charged with two counts of murder.

Police said Brent Burke killed his estranged wife, Tracy Burke, and her former mother-in-law, Karen Comer, in September 2007 at Comer's home in Rineyville.

State police said Burke broke into Comer's house and killed the two women while Tracy Burke's three young children were hiding in a closet.

One of them, a 9-year-old called 911 hours after the shootings.

Burke's first three trials all ended in mistrials. Burke's first trial in 2009 was declared a mistrial after his defense attorneys argued prosecutors withheld interviews conducted by Kentucky State Police.

The second trial, in January 2010 was declared a mistrial after a witness had to have an emergency appendectomy.

In December, the jury deadlocked and could not reach a decision.

On Monday, Burke appeared before a different judge with a new defense team and a new jury pool.

Potential jurors were questioned one-on-one, their identities are private, in a process that will take days.

Nearly all of them told the judge and court that they were familiar with the case.

Most maintained they have not formed any opinions.

Jury selection is expected to last through the week. The trial could last more than a month.